


Double Trouble

by Parks and Fluff (GamblingDementor)



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: F/M, Female Friendship, Friendship, Gen, Pregnancy, Surprises, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-04-06 22:36:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4239213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamblingDementor/pseuds/Parks%20and%20Fluff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When she learns that she is having twins, April freaks out and does the best thing she can think of: leave everything and drive to Leslie's home in Pawnee. Only she can reassure her that she can be a good mom for two more kids.</p><p>Requested anonymously on tumblr. The children are original characters created by opti (check him out on tumblr: anotheropti).</p>
            </blockquote>





	Double Trouble

Andy and April have a routine to announce their pregnancy to Leslie. They drop by unexpectedly (but they often do that so it's not that conspicuous) at her door, sit on the couch, April refuses any alcoholic beverage that might be offered, they all have a nice polite chit chat and she drops the bomb in the middle of the conversation when Leslie least expects it. That's what worked best with Jack, then with Roberta, and every time Leslie had that knowing smile afterwards, like she just received amazing news that she knew would happen. Samantha was a bit more of a surprise − Leslie later confided she wasn't expecting them to have a third child, but was absolutely overjoyed. It's also how they told her about this pregnancy, this fourth miracle of life, as she called it. Ben almost dropped dead, Robbie giggled and said he was a big nerd, it was all in good fun. 

But something April hasn't done is specifically beg for advice. This time, though, there's a little bit more to this pregnancy than the others. An extra baby, to be more specific. And that's something she has yet to announce to Leslie, and she definitely wants to do that without the pranking and the joking around. Leslie, the mother of triplets. She hasn't told Andy about it, she's been waiting to tell him the right moment and it never came, but she is very much freaking out about the idea of mothering two newborns at the same time. How is she even supposed to do that? She's just one person. But Leslie will know how.When she moved back to Pawnee, Leslie established a mandated weekly phone call and a monthly dinner together, all kids invited. At first, April thought it was stupid and that they didn't need all the fuss, but over time, she began to look forward to Leslie's call every week and now, she is somehow happy to be talking with her semi-regularly. Besides, Leslie always says that all this is the bare requirement, and that April could call or visit her any time at all.  _She_  certainly comes over every time she's in Washington, unannounced and her bags full of individual personal presents for each of them, kids included. All in all, April is fairly confident that she could just go and see her and be welcome any time. Obviously she could also call and ask her, but she doesn't really trust herself to be calm and serene enough to answer Leslie's "Why?" that is sure to come.When she tells Andy she might go to Pawnee for the weekend, he immediately says it's a great idea and doesn't even ask why she would (she doesn't really go see her family a lot, and dinner with Leslie isn't for another three week). Instead, he goes on and on about the weekend he's going to have with the kids and that warms her heart a little bit."Then me and the kids could make like a giant blanket fort, and kill all the zombie pirates, and the floor will be lava like  _all weekend_ , does that sound fun, Robbie?""Yeah!" their three-year-old cheers, as she always does when anyone suggests anything at all, ever."I'll take Sam with me, okay?""Sure, babe!"And he goes on to suggest fun ideas of what to do on a weekend with just him and the two older kids.The day before she leaves, he helps her pack and gives her three times as many snacks as she would have taken with her on her own, and just about all of Samantha's toys. It's not exactly that useful, considering the best way to entertain Sam is just to hold her close and hug her, but she feels that he's just enjoying packing the toys and dangling them in front of Sam's sleepy uninterested eyes before putting each of them away. Sam is one of these kids that actually like driving around. Andy gives her one last big hug, then straps her into the car seat and kisses April."'M gonna miss you, babe.""Me too," she says and hugs him tight around the waist. She could stay right there forever, but she's never going to get any peace of mind if she keeps her insecurities to herself. Too often in the past, she's kept to herself. It's been her way of staying protected, of keeping her emotions in check, but ever since that other day they got the ultrasound with two clear heartbeats, she's been stressing out. The ride to Pawnee is mostly quiet. Sam doesn't like music, so April keeps the radio off, but her daughter is soothed by the sound of the engine and falls asleep pretty quickly. She only wakes up once before lunch, and both times, April gives her some of that applesauce Andy packed: she loves his cooking, even little as she is. But mostly she sleeps in her car seat and April focuses on the road.It's not that she's scared, not exactly. She's had kids before, as many as Leslie has, but  _two_  babies at the same time? What if Andy's busy, what if she's busy? What if Robbie makes a mess and the twins both cry at the same time? She can't say that she's not nervous.It takes ten hours to drive to Pawnee, enough to change her mind a dozen times only to change it again and keep driving. Sam wakes up during the afternoon but only starts fussing around half an hour before reaching Pawnee (she is by far the quietest baby they've had). April takes a break in a deserted parking lot on a dirty wooden bench to nurse her —  Sam didn't even get time to cry. Stroking her thin hair, her soft cheeks, April thinks about the next babies she'll get to hold right against her in this way, to cherish and hug and kiss. Then she thinks about the wailing and the dirty diapers and the tears she just can't soothe, and she wonders if Andy and her can do it for two babies at the same time, as well as taking care of the ones they do have. Of course, they'll try their best, as they always have, but is there a point when you just become overwhelmed as a parent? When it's too much and you're just a bad mom?Leslie's car is in front of her house — Ben's isn't. Good. No way she's dealing with this weirdo right now. She picks up her bags from the backseat, puts Sam in that wrap thing that keeps her flush against her chest, close and cozy, and walks up Leslie's driveway to knock on her door — loudly, desperately."April!" Leslie's voice is surprised, cheerful. Just what she needs."Hey.""Wow, I'm so happy to see you! What a wonderful surprise!"April lets herself in, leaving her luggage in the hall. It's not like Leslie isn't going to take it to the guest room for her anyway. Every pregnancy, she's been nothing but helpful and kind and generous and April has always counted on that in some way. Or abused it, she's not too sure. She doesn't really care. Leslie doesn't care, she gives and gives anyway."So, what's bringing you to Pawnee?" Leslie asks once she's sat April on her couch and given her a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and cinnamon (it's gonna be winter soon, she says, you need your energy for you and the baby). April takes Sam out of the wrap, bounces her on her knee as she likes (she likes it better when it's Andy, but doesn't everyone?), thinks about what she's going to say. Leslie actually has to touch her shoulders to bring her back to reality."April?""Oh, erm…""Nothing happened, right? April, is something wrong? What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong!""Oh my god, Leslie, stop freaking out. I'm the one who's supposed to be freaking out!""Something did happen then?! I knew once a month wasn't enough for our Super Fun Reunions! Tell me everything that happened! It's the puppy! The puppy ate chocolate and you don't know what to do… No wait, you know more about dogs than I do… It's Andy! Andy is sick… and you came with Samantha to protect her! To protect your baby from Andy's smallpox! Or maybe it's…""It's twins! I'm pregnant with twins! Andy isn't sick, and I never want him to be, so don't you ever say that again."Leslie pauses, then breaks into a huge grin and pulls her close, already ranting. Good, the energy's there. April can make a good use of that."Just twins! That's great! I was afraid it was bad, but wow. That's amazing news, April! I'm so happy for you!""Yeah…""Oh, I could make you matching onesies! How about one that says "We're the" and the other says "cutest babies ever"? No, that's too cheesy… How about matching baby hats? Mmh, I'm gonna have to hit Ravelry and see what's out there for twins.""We have onesies, Leslie. You gave us like five hundreds for each baby. Sam is wearing one you knitted for Jack four years ago. Onesies literally never get used up."The big "Born in Pawnee" all over the little garment is a hint − Jack is their only child who was born in Pawnee."Yeah, you're right…"April takes a big breath, looks at Leslie. She is staring at her with these big excited eyes she gets whenever something great is happening."Leslie, what do I do?"Her voice is shakier than she thought, and Sam somehow catches on that (she's only nine months, yet she is a lot more perceptive than the others ever were) and holds onto her mother's hands around her waist. Or maybe she's just feeling like some contact. That happens to her too."Aww, April, you have three kids already! You can do this!"Her hand is on April's arm, reassuring and just  _there_ , which is what matters in the end."Yeah, but always just the one! What if… What if I'm caring for one and then the other one falls down on the floor because I wasn't looking? What if one of them is hungry and I feed them and the other one poops and just stays there stinking? What do I do?""April, all of this could happen with several kids that weren't born at the same time."That is  _not_  what April wanted to hear." _God_ , Leslie, yeah, what if all of my kids get into trouble because I can't take care of them, jeez, great concept.""Oh, sweetie, I didn't mean it like that! I just mean… You can do this, April. You can totally do it."She'll never tell anyone, not even Andy, but "sweetie" always does the trick for her. It's very rare, a special treat when Leslie calls her that, probably by accident because she's used to calling her kids that way, but still. April takes a big breath, brings Sam close and gives her a big hug. She's got three kids.  _This_  baby is crazy about her. She can do this. Can she?"I feel like it's too much," she whispers and puts her head against Leslie's shoulder. Sam makes these sweet baby sounds she makes sometimes, not nearly as much as Robbie did and still does. She likes Leslie, at least a little bit. Most of all she likes April, but still, she'll take a hug from Leslie from time to time."I promise it'll be okay. Look at me and Ben. Three babies, we did it!""You kept saying it was hell.""It was, and heaven too. That's what kids are. You know that by now."She chuckles. That part is true. Children are a blessing, and a handful."How did you do this?"Sam is grabbing onto Leslie's necklace — she always lets her."Well," Leslie says and wraps her arm around April, "We just took it one day at a time. We still do.""Yeah… That doesn't really sound like you.""Oh, I'm not saying I didn't have high hopes for them from day one. I am still desperately hoping for me and So to be the first mother-daughter duo of female presidents."April can't say she holds expectations over her children like Leslie does. Maybe because their oldest is only a preschooler. Maybe because she and Leslie are two very different persons. But really, all she hopes is for them to be happy and to be themselves. "But in the end," Leslie goes on, "there's no way to know what'll happen. But things turn out awesome if you keep a good attitude and hope in your heart.""Mmh.""Besides, two kids, you can totally do it, April. You and Andy, you're two people! One each!""… Leslie.""Yeah, you're right… Andy is alone with them most of the time… But he's got two arms, so one each again! I mean, twins, that's easy game.""Excuse me?!""Hey, I'm just saying, you've never been feeding two babies at the same time and the third one barfs on the couch and your husband isn't home..."April makes a face, she's sure. She remembers all too well how hard it was to care for three babies, even for one night  even with Andy every time they babysat."All I'm saying is that two parents, two kids, easy game.""Oh my god, Leslie. That's not how it works here.""Of course it is! How do you think we did? We got a nanny to get an extra pair of arms, three adults, three babies, perfect!""But...""I mean technically, Roz was often alone with the three of them, maybe we should call her for advice... I probably still have her number somewhere.""LESLIE!"Leslie stops right in her tracks — she was already getting up to get the nanny on the phone, April is sure."Yeah?""Leslie, you started good but right now, none of what you're saying is helping. At all.""It's not?""No!"Samantha starts to fuss a little bit. She can always sense tension if April is feeling nervous. April strokes her hair, rubs her back and hopes to soothe her. In the end, she is the one feeling better. Nothing like a good old fashioned hug with your baby.

Leslie sits back cautiously, keeping her distance.

"I think the biggest change is from no kid to one kid. Or three kids for me, but I hit the jackpot."

"I used to think that I could never be a good mom to two kids at the same time," April admits. Sam is chewing on the fabric of her shirt. "All kids were a big change."

"Of course they were," Leslie says and rubs her arm gently, reassuringly. 

"With Robbie, I thought Jack would think we didn't love him as much anymore…"

"But he never thought that at all."

"I know! I  _used to_  think that, I know I was wrong."

Leslie opens her mouth as if she wants to say something, then closes it, chooses to stroke Sam's hair. She's starting to fall asleep.

"You can do this, April. I really believe that."

"It's just… It's twice as many babies as I thought we would get."

"Well, consider this."

"What?"

"You'll have Andy, who is a great dad and loves you and supports you."

"Yeah…"

"And if you need anything at all, you can  _always_  ask me.  _Anything_. You know I mean it."

 

"Thanks," she says and buries her head into the neck of her sleepy baby. In the end, the love she feels for her children is always going to ground her back to reality. That, and Leslie.

 

In the end, Leslie does have that effect she always has: she's such a hurricane of positivity that April gets splashed with the nice feelings. They spend the night talking on that couch, long after Sam falls asleep in her arms for good, and April ends up admitting that she freaked out more than she should have. The thought of having two babies is not so scary anymore. It's like having one more kid and she's done that before, three times, in fact. It's just two at a time. Just that. If they can deal with three kids, they can deal with five. Oh my god, five children. They could have their own Ludgate-Dwyer basketball team. She tells Andy when she calls him to tell him good night and he thinks it's the greatest idea she's ever had. But perhaps the best part about the night is that Ben isn't back until very late, just enough to say hi before she hits the hay.

 

And when she goes to bed in the guest room with her baby and warm bedlinen that smells of flowers, she dreams of a little Andy and a little April hand in hand blowing on dandelions and that is a lot cuter than her dreams have any right to be. She wakes up feeling like she can actually do this, do it for real. Leslie makes her a huge stack of waffles for breakfast (April is lucky that the morning sickness she's felt for this pregnancy has been really mild so far into it) and gives her ten times more for the road back to Washington. Because in the end, there is almost no greater love than providing sweetness for the people around you. And maybe that's what April is doing for her kids too.


End file.
